Clinical Certification

What is a CVT?

A CVT is a Certified Veterinary Technician. Other synonymous credentials are LVT and RVT, licensed and registered respectively. The type of credentials issued is dependent on which state a veterinary technician becomes credentialed in. In Pennsylvania veterinary technicians become certified, in New York veterinary technicians are licensed.

Prerequisites for obtaining credentials as a veterinary technician include graduating from an AVMA*-accredited veterinary technology program, and passing the veterinary technician national exam. In order to maintain credentialed status, veterinary technicians are obligated to complete continuing education as determined by their state’s Board of Veterinary Medicine. In Pennsylvania technicians are expected to complete 16 hours of continuing education every 2 years in time for the renewal of their credentials.

* AVMA = American Veterinary Medical Association

What is a VTS?

A VTS is a Veterinary Technician Specialist. There are about a dozen technician specialties in veterinary medicine, and they usually correlate with an area of board certification for veterinarians. Some of the more common specialties include:

Emergency and critical care

Anesthesia

Equine veterinary nursing

Large and small animal internal medicine

Dentistry

Nutrition

Behavior

Clinical practice

Prerequisites for obtaining VTS status vary by specialty, but most require at least four to five years of experience in the field, completion of advanced skills in the field, case logs, case reports, documentation of continuing education, good standing credentials, and finally an exam after acceptance of the application.

Once VTS status is granted, the credentialed technician must complete advanced continuing education including mentoring others in the field, lecturing, and publishing articles relevant to the field.